Tire for vehicles.



J. E. HOPKINSON. TIRE FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1906.

E f i I 6 d I d I! e Edit/am des; l III H H l l 1 v 1 Ml/W 5 1' I l' Y km 56 evwjerfi ei'fwsan rmirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EBFJEZER HOPKINSON, OF WEST DRAYTON, ENGLAND.

TIRE FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April. 2, 1907.

Application filed February 28, 1906. Serial No. 303,350-

wheel rims and tires of the elastic type.

Various methods have already been tried to prevent the tire creeping in its rim or tending to rise out of the same, and the present invention has reference to an improved connection between the tire and the rim or telly-ring for these and locking purposes and to the construction and arrangement of the flange-fixings commonly used when these are of the inturned shape.

My invention is particularly applicable to metal wheels, such as those in which the folly and spokes are in one piece.

In carrying out my invention I lock the tire to its telly by means of transverse projections upon the inner periphery of the elastic tire which engage and dovetail into correponding transverse undercut slots upon the outer periphery of the felly or rim. These projections and their slo'ts may be other than at right angles to the plane of the wheel. 1' make the inner part of the tire of a harder rubber than the outer part or tread. The harder part is stitl'er and more resistant than if the rubber tire were made of resilient, and therefore compaiatively soft rubber throughout its depth and it is thereby absolutely prevented from being wrenched out of or away from the engaging connections. The introduction of the hard support for the resilient' tread portion prevents undue wear at the meeting place of the projections and their slots and positively prevents the tire from being torn out of its locking-slots. In combination with the above locking arrangenfent a diamond bead is formed on the inner side of the flange-plates, toward the outer inturned end thereof, adapted to press into the tire and to tend to force it to bed down into the rim.

The invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in w.hicl'1.-

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a tire to which the present invention is shown an plied. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a similar tire. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of another form of tire fitted with the invention. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the transverselygrooved felly or rim, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.

The elastic tire a is preferably made of rubber and is fitted with a base portion 1) of harder material than that of which the tread or outer portion is made. The inner portion. is providedwith transverse bars or projcctions'c, extending right across the base. b. The bed of the rim or the telly d, on whichthe tire is secured, is correspondingly slotted transversely at e, and the PTOJQCtlODS c are adapted to seat themselves in the corresponding slots -c. Ishape the projections and slots so that the former will dovetail into the latter, the cross edges of the portions or heads between the slots being suitably rounded ofl, it desired, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. These ligures also clearly show the slots e undercut attheir sides.

The slots e may taper in .width from side to side, as shown in Fig. 5, or they may be inclined from/ ope side to the other upwardly, so that thdy are not at right angles to the pl ane of the wheel, as will be apparent from Fig. 3. The projections on the inner periphcry of the tire are correspondinglytapered or inclined, so that the tire may be applied to the rim orffelly at the side and then pushed or forced upward into place, so as to surround and encircle the telly. When in position, the

side plates or side flanges f are bolted or oth'- erwise secured in the well-lmown inanncr.

On the drawings I have shown the side plates fixed in place-by means of bolts g. The slots e, into which the projections c are iorcedf may be both tapered and inclined from side to side, if so desired. WVhere they are made tapering in width, (see Fig. 5,) the bars or projections c are similarly shaped, and the narrower ends ofsaid bars are inserted into the slotsc from the wider ends of the latter.

The side plates or flange-plates f are provided (see Figs. 1 and 2) upon their inturncd edges with beads f or an interrupted beading forming diamond-shaped studs, which bed into thetire so as to tend to force the tire-base down into the rim. I arrange these beads 1 so as to be outwardly beyond the hard-riibber base of the tire and to be directed toward the folly or rim, so that they tend or assist to force the tire to bed down into the rim when the side plates are being applied.

The ring in which the slots e are made may be shrunk on the wooden felly of an ordinary wheel, Fig. 4, or the ring may form the telly, as in. the case of a metal wheel, Fig. 3.

I have found by experiment that it is essential to the proper worlnng of these tires that the resilient rubber should be backed by a hard inner portion, such as is indicated on the drawings by the extra sectioning b', and accordingly the transverse bars or projections from the inner periphery and the part of the tire in depth adjacent thereto are made of hard rubber, such as rubber hard ened to or almost to the degree of vulcanite, the outer tread portion remaining comparatively soft to retain its elasticity. The locking of this improved tire (whether the latter is an endless ring or is made in sec-' tionsor blocks) is eflected by engaging and dovetailing the projections c from its periphery With the cros -slots orgrooves ,e in the rim, as the tire is being slid laterally into place upon the rim, and the side plates f atterward serve to maintain the tire in its proper position and prevent it returning sidewise off the rim. The diamond beading, which points inward of the wheel, faces the bed of the rim, forces the tire down into the latter, and prevents its middle portion tendtire having a rubber base harder than the tread, projections from the base of said tire,

said projections being tapered in width and adapted to engagewith and belocked in said run.

2. In a tire for vehicles, a rim, transverse.

slots in said Tim, said slots being of taper width and inclined to the plane of the Wheel, an elastic tire seated in said rim, said tire having a rubber base harder than the tread,

' prbjections from-the base of said tire, said projections being tapered in width, inclined to the plane of the Wheel and adapted to engage With and be locked in said rim. 3. In a tire for vehicies, a rim, a periphery to said rim, said periphery, being inclined to the, plane of the wheel, transverse slots in said Tim, said slots being of taper width and inclined to the plane of the wheel, an elastic tire seated in said rim, said tire having a rubher base harderthan the tread, said base be-. ing inclined to the plane of the wheel, projecirionsfrom the base, of said tire, said projec tions being inclined to the plane of'the wheel,

tapered in width and. adapted to engage with and; be locked in said rim. 4

In a tire for vehicles, afelly-ring, transverse'dovetail slots of tapering Width in said telly ,1 a rubber tire, elastictread per,-

tion to said tire, a base to said tire of harder rubber, and transverse rejections tapered in width from the base 0 said tire extending across said base and adapted to enter and fit said felly-slots.

5. In a tire for vehicles, a telly-ring having transverse dovetail slots of tapering width made therein, a rubber tire having an elastic tread portion and having a base of harder rubber, said base having dovetail projections tapering in width and fitting said slots, and

flange-plates mounted upon the sides of the run.

6. In a tire for vehicles, a telly-ring having transverse dovetail slots of tapering width made therein, a rubber tire having an elastic tread portion and having a base of harder rubber, said base. having dovetail projections clined longitudinally from end to en'dv and adapted to fit said tapered slots, and flangeplates upon the Wheel-rim adapted to pull the tire into thebed of the rim'.

8. Ina tire for vehicles, a wheel-rim, trans verse slots across said wheel-rim, said slots having their floors inclined longitudinally from end to end, an elastictire having transverse dovetail projections across its inner periphery, said projections having their under surfaces inclined longitudinally from end to end, flange-plates on the sides of the wheel, said tire being adapted to be slid laterally upon the rim'with the inclined projections fitting said inclined slots and to be retained in position by said flange-plates.

9. In a tire for vehicles, a wheel-rim, transverse dovetail slots across said rim, said slots being tapering in Width and having floors inclined in the direction of their length, an elastic tire having a hardened backing, and transverse projecting bars across said backing,

said bars being of dovetail form-tapering in Width and having under surfaces inclined in the direct-ion of their length, said bars adapted to fit said slots, said tire being pushed laterally into place upon the rim, and means for holding said tire inposition upon the rim.

In Witness whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN EBENEZ ER HOPKINSON. Witnesses Vic'ron- F. FEENEY, -H. D. JAMESON. 

